Many bathroom accessories and other structures such as shelves and mirrors are commonly mounted on walls. The assemblies for mounting such structures preferably have several characteristics. First, the mounting assemblies should provide a solid mounting. In this regard, mounting assemblies for shelves and mirrors must sometimes support a considerable weight, and assemblies for towel and grab bars are often subjected to large multi-directional forces. Second, to be aesthetically pleasing (and to reduce the risk of vandalism), the mounting assembly should conceal the method of mounting (such as as screws, washers, springs, etc.). Further, assemblies should incorporate an uncomplicated structure that permits relatively fast and simple mounting of the bathroom accessory or other structure and relatively inexpensive manufacture.
These requirements often conflict, however, and present mounting assemblies have not satisfactorily fulfilled the requirements. For example, some assemblies employ special parts that are designed to provide a sturdy construction. (See for example, the screw-pin incorporating a spring-urged detent in U.S. Pat. No. 2,088,320). Such special parts, through, often increase the cost and complexity of the mounting assembly, and sometimes provide a source of assembly malfunction. Other mounting assemblies require special tools to remove the bathroom accessory from the wall. (See U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,409). Thus, a need exists for an improved mounting assembly that can quickly and easily be assembled to provide a sturdy support for a wall-mounted object, with the mounting hardware normally concealed from view.